Process of making chain-links.



F. G. BREUL.

'PROCESS OF MAKING CHAIN LINKS APPLICATION FILED MAY 17. 1916.

Patented Mar. 20, 1917.

Second fife 7 Bur/h 5712 psi-rep s rains earner crate FREDERICK Gr. BREOL; 0F BBIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN CHAIN COMPANY, INCORPORATED, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

PROCESS OF MAKING CHAIN-LINKS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 20, 1917.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK G. BREUL, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Bridgeport, Fairfield county, Connecticut, have made a certain new and useful Invention Relating to Processes of Making Chain-Links, of which the followingis a specification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, which forms part of the same.

This invention relates especially to processes of making curb chain links out of round or other wire stock by oppositely bending the ends of the link blank to form end hooks thereon which may be connected to the central loop portion of the link by oppositely bent slightly inclined side portions so as to form, if desired, an elongated S-shaped link blank all parts of which are in substantially the same plane. The end hooks may then be bent up substantially perpendicularly to their plane around the connecting loop portion to bring the end hooks toward and into substantial contact with each other so that these oppositely directed end hooks lap over each otherand form the joint end of the curb link which needs no subsequent twisting to bring its ends into the desired angular or substantially perpen dicular relative positions; and it is of course understood that the character of these bending and shaping operations and the order of their performance can be varied considerably while still bringing together the lapped ends of the link material so that the ends of the closed link are at angle to each other, which greatly minimizes the undesirable torsional and opening strains in the link material as compared to first forming a flat link and then twisting or curbing it. It is, however, understood that the lapped ends forming the joint of the link may be forced or swaged together into interlocking contact with each other or-more or less twisted together, or both, and also if desired in either case electrically or otherwise welded more or less so as to promote the strength and rigidity of the links in some cases, it being of course understood that any such links can be case-hardened or otherwise hardened and tempered by usual processes.

In the accompanying drawings showing in a somewhat diagrammatic way ilustrative embodiments of this invention,

Figures 1 and 2 indicate a form of elongated S-shaped link blank which may constitute the first step in the process.

Figs. 3 and 4 illustrating a second step show the link ends of such a blank as bent up toward each other.

Figs. 5 and 6 show the cooperating end hooks of the blank forced together into lapping engagement and somewhat swaged or flattened together into more intimate contact; and

Figs. 7 and 8 show on a somewhat larger seale a link of this character having its ends twisted together so as to form twisted gripping tips each more or less encircling the other end, and also having the joined ends partially welded.

The link material which may be of soft or special steel or other suitable material may be cut off into blanks of such length as to form single links, the tips of the blank being preferably though not necessarily somewhat diagonally severedas shown at 4 and 7 in Figs. 1 and 2 which illustrate the blank as being formed of round wire stock, although this is not in all cases necessary. The blank is preferably bent into elongated 3 shape, preferably having all its parts in substantially the same plane, and as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2 the intermediate portion of the blank forming the straight loop portion 1 may have the oppositely bent slightly inclined side portions 2, 5 extending outward therefrom and nearly in line therewith while the oppositely bent end hooks 3 and (i may be given a somewhat curved hook form and extended in opposite directions so that their mid-portions may be substantially perpendicular to and in line with the central or loop portion of the blank, that is the mid portions of these open end hooks are so located that they would be intersected by the extension of a line through the straight central portion 1 of the blank. Such elongated S shaped link blanks may have their end hooks bent up substantially perpendicularly to their plane around the intermediate loop portion so as to bring the end hooks toward and into substantial contact with each other so that these end hooks lap over each other to form the joint end of the link, which is thus arranged at an angl'e or preferably substantially perpendicular to the opposite loop end 8 of the closed link, as

shown in Figs. and 6. If desired, this may be accomplished in several stages so that the link blank first assumes the bent position shown in Figs. 3 and 4. as a separate transitional stage in order to more clearly explain the process and then is still further bent into the position shown in Figs. 5 and 6 in which the overlapping link ends or end hooks are forced into contact with each other and if desired forced or swaged together into more or less interlocking contact which flattens these lapped ends 3 and (3 so that they more closely and strongly engage each other. If desired of. course the shaping and flattening of the link ends and tips may be accomplished in any suitable stage of the link forming process and it is sometimes desirable to force the link ends or tips into twisted interlocking position as described and claimed in the Lashar Patent 1,074,63; of October 7, 1913, so that as shown in Fig. 7 each of the extended ends 10 and 12 of these tips more or less encircle the cooperating neck portions of the other end of the link material and form, if desired, a link engaging wearing notch between them. The interlocked joint portion 9 of the link may preferably be swaged to substantially umform diameter and if desired more or less electrically welded as at the part 11, for example, to still further strengthen the joint and generally similar electric or spot welding may be employed to join the form of link shown in Fig. 6, for example. Such links eitherwith or without such welding of their lapped joint portions may be case-hardened or otherwise hardened or tempered without causing the undesirable opening or weakening action experienced in case hardening or similarly treating the usual curbed chain links which have been torsionally twisted after being formed or closed into link shape.

This invention has been described in connection with a number of illustrative embodiments, materials, forms, proportions, arrangements, orders and kinds of steps and treatments, to the details of which disclosure the invention is not of course to be limited, since what is claimed as new and what is desired to be secured by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims.

I claim 1. The process of making curb chain links which consists in forming from round wire stock an elongated S-shaped link blank havingall its parts in substantially the samev plane and having a straight middle loop portion and oppositely bent slightly inclined side portions thereon and oppositely bent end hooks having diagonally severed tips on said side portions, the mid-portions of said end hooks being substantially perpendicular to and in line with the intermediate loop portion of the blank, in bending said end hooks up substantially perpendicular to their plane around the loop portion of the blank to bring the end hooks toward and into substantial contact overlapping each other to form the joint end of the link at substantially right angles to the opposite end loop of the link, in forcing said lapped which consists in forming from wire stock an elongated S-shaped link blank having all its parts in substantially the same plane and having a middle loop portion and oppositely bent slightly inclined side portions thereon and oppositely bent end hooks on said side portions, in bending said end hooks up substantially perpendicular to their plane to bring the end hooks toward and into substantial contact overlapping each other to form the joint end of the link at an angle to the opposite end loop of the link, and in forcing said lapped end hooks into interlocking engagement with each other.

8. The process of making curb chain links which consists in forming from wire stock an elongated S-shaped link blank having all its parts in substantially the same plane and having oppositely bent open end hooks, in bending said end hooks up to bring the end hooks toward and into substantial con tact overlapping each other to form a curb link having its joint end at an angle to the opposite end loop of the link, and in forcing said lapped end hooks into interlocking engagement with each other.

4. The process of making curb chain links which comprisesforming an elongated shaped link blank having its end portions in substantially the same plane and having oppositely bent open end hooks and in bending said end hooks to bring the end hooks toward and into substantial contact overlapping each other to form a curb link having its joint end at an angle to the opposite end loop of the link.

5. The process of making curb chain links .which comprises forming an elongated S- shaped link blank having its end portions in substantially the same plane and having oppositely bent open end hooks, in bending said end hooks to bring the end hooks toward and into substantial contact overlapping each other to form a curb link having its joint end at an angle to the opposite end loop of the link and in welding said end hooks together.

6. The process of making curb chain links which comprises forming an elongated S- shaped link blank having its end portions in substantially the same plane and having oppositely bent open end hooks, in bending said end hooks to bring the end hooks to- Ward and into substantial contact overlapping each other to form a curb link having its joint end link at an angle to the opposite end loop of the link and hardening said link.

7. The process of forming a curb chain link which comprises forming the link blank with oppositely bent open end portions and bending the intermediate portion of the blank to bring said end portions toward and into substantial lapping contact with each other to form a curb link having its joint end at an angle to the opposite loop end of the link.

8. The process of forming a curb chain link which comprises forming the link blank from wire stock with end oint portions and bending the intermediate portion of the blank to bring said joint portions toward and into substantial lapping contact with each other to simultaneously form the closed curb link with its ends at an angle to each other, securing the joint ends of the link material and hardening the link.

9. The process of forming a curb chain link which comprises forming the link blank with end joint portions and bending the in termediate portion of the blank to bring said joint portions toward and into substantial lapping contact with each other to simultaneously form the closed curb link with its ends at an angle to each other.

FREDERICK G. BREUL.

lVitnesses JOHN C. lVIR'rH, AXEL G. OLSSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

